Bishop Media Sports Network
Knights Gallop Into Playoffs
By: Alex Mathis
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Frederica Knights got a much needed bye week this week before round 1 of the playoffs start next week.
Last week, the Knights lost their last region game of season against Edmund Burke. This could be a blessing in disguise for Brandon Derrick’s Knights.
There is no doubt that Frederica has one of the most talented teams in GISA. Sometimes it takes losing a game you are not expected to lose to bring out a team’s full potential.
The Knights have had a great week of practice while preparing for their first round matchup at home next Friday. They have prepared for two teams this week, but they will know their first round opponent some time on Saturday.
Their first round matchup will be against Tiftarea or Southland. The Knights got their first ever AAA win against Tiftarea 3 years ago.
Tiftarea is a strong and physical team that is led by a physical running back. Southland is also a well coached and physical team.
Regardless of who steps on the field, Frederica’s first round matchup will be a physical one. The Knights have been tested though. If you ask Coach Brandon Derrick he will tell you that he scheduled Parklane Academy and Wesleyan to prepare his team for this very moment.
Frederica will go into the playoffs with a 5-3 record. Looking back on the season, The Knights have still not played their best football yet.
Their 3 losses could have easily been wins. Early turnovers against Parklane Academy cost them there. The same can be said for the Wesleyan game. Their 3rd loss could be attributed to simply turning it “ON” a little too late. These losses should and will help keep the Knights motivated for the playoffs.
The offense of the Knights this season has been impressive at times. It has averaged over 300 yards a game this season. Over 200 of the yards have come on the ground.
Jaylin Simpson and Isaiah Jackson have helped lead the Knights in that category. Simpson has rushed for over 600 (passed for over 650) and Jackson has rushed for over 500.
Michael Tindle and the rest of the offensive line has done an amazing job helping lead the Knights rushing attack. They have done a great job under first year offensive line coach, Bill Stafford.
The Knights defense has played well this regular season too. Harry Veal has been the anchor for the defense. Veal leads the team with over 60 tackles on the season. I do not think there is a more physical linebacker than Veal in Southeast Georgia.
Deke Jernigan has also done a great job playing linebacker. He and Veal have been a difficult duo to manage for offenses, Cameron Gardner, Rett Thompson, Cole Hinson, Trace Dorminy, and Tyler Pierce have done a great job on the defensive front on the season.
After the rough start at Parklane, they really zoned in and helped make things difficult in the trenches.
The secondary also played well. Jaylin Simpson, JT Elliott, Avery Cobb, Jackson Wetzler, Isaiah Jackson, Santana Clark, Eric Tatum, and Jashawn Sheffield have done a great job making it difficult for team to hurt the Knights over the top.
Frederica’s defense has forced over 20 turnovers on the season. Defensive Coordinator, Ben Burkett, hopes to add to that total when the playoffs start.
October 27th is win or go home. There are no more guaranteed games.
The next time the senior Knights touch the field could be their last. Brandon Derrick told his team at the beginning of the season that the goal was to be standing at Mercer University on November 17th holding the state championship trophy. Now is the time to make that goal a reality.
World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
“The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” has called Jacksonville home since 1933.
That is the unofficial official name of the rivalry between Georgia and Florida. I was born and raised in Georgia so it is called the Georgia/Florida game. Enough said about that.
On October 28th the teams will meet on the football field for the 96th time with Georgia holding a 50-43-2 lead in the series.
This game in Jacksonville makes sense for both schools economically and generates millions for Coastal Georgia as thousands of UGA fans usually spend their money on St. Simons and Jekyll Island for the long four day weekend. With UGA being 7-0 going into the game this year thousands of Dawg fans should flock to the Golden Isles.
Once Steve Spurrier became head coach of Florida back in 1990 the Gators took control of the series and won 7 straight contests from 1990 to 1996 with a two year hiatus from Jacksonville as what is EverBank Field today was built for the Jaguars debut in 1995.
The series went home and home in 1994 and 1995. Since 1990 the Gators are 19-6 in Jacksonville which has Generation Z and some Millennial Georgia fans and alumni complaining about the game still being played in Jacksonville.
Excuses you hear from young Dawg fans about the game being played in Jacksonville (remember the term young Dawg fans): Georgia is at a disadvantage playing in Florida. Georgia fans have to travel farther and spend more money. Gainesville is closer to Jacksonville than Athens. Florida players have the travel advantage.
I’m going to shoot holes in the three myths young UGA fans use to promote the home/home series argument with the annual cocktail party.
One thing you never hear is Florida fans promoting a home/home series with UGA. They are fine with the game in Jacksonville. Yeah, I know Generation Z folks will point out excuse number one listed above.
The fact of the matter is prior to 1990 UF had an overall record 21-37-1 against UGA in Jacksonville, but you never heard them whining about going to a home and home series.
Georgia leads the overall series 43-40-1 in games played in Jacksonville against the Gators. So, the reality is that UGA is not at a disadvantage playing in Jacksonville. Generation Z and some Millennial Dawg fans think their history is more important than overall history. Get over yourself.
Georgia fans have to travel farther and spend more money. Another myth. Miami is 350 miles from Jacksonville, and Pensacola is 359 miles away. Most Dawg fans live in the Atlanta metro area which is 350 miles from Jacksonville. Hotels and food in the Jacksonville cost the same for the Red and Black and Orange and Blue. Advantage to the local economies which favor the color Green.
Gainesville is closer to Jacksonville than Athens. Florida players have the travel advantage. Geographically true, but ok the facts are UF takes a one hour bus ride to Jacksonville and UGA takes a one hour flight to Jacksonville. Baby Boomers and Generation X Dawgs would take a one hour flight over a one hour bus ride any day of the week. Generation Z Dawgs have never ridden a bus in their life. Advantage UGA.
When you lose you make excuses like young UGA fans have for 27 years. UGA leads Florida in the football series and Kirby Smart is going to take control of the UF series once again.
Neutral site games seem to be becoming more popular again as many early season games now are moving to neutral sites to provide higher profile match ups.
The game in Jacksonville is booked through 2021. Tradition matters in college football. The decision also to allow both schools to wear their home colors at the game has gone over very well.
As a big fan of the pageantry and tradition that surrounds college football, I hope this game never leaves Jacksonville.
South Georgia UGA season ticket holders drive roughly 300 miles to every home football Saturday to Athens, Georgia. Just saying Generation Z.
If it matters you’ll always show up. Isn’t it funny that when your favorite team is doing well money is not an object?
Notre Dame Fans can attest to that with the Dawg invasion that took over South Bend in September.
Brandon Derrick Show Oct 18
Sean Pender Show Oct 18
Florida/Georgia Weirdness
By: Christian Goeckel
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
In a series that has been dominated by Florida in recent history, a lot of traditional football knowledge can be tossed to the wayside.
Remember the year Treon Harris completed three passes IN THE ENTIRE GAME and Florida still demolished Georgia 38-20?
Yeah, this series is the definition of “throw out the record books”. So, in the spirit of the World’s Largest Outdoor…or whatever it is now, I’m throwing out the same old matchup rundown and digging deep and getting weird with the fringe matchups that will decide this decidedly weird, beautiful, annual tradition.
Rocky Hidalgo Show Oct 17
Upset Minded Gators
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Gators are off to a slow start this season, their .500 after six games.
They were ranked in the top 20 in the preseason in both the AP and Coaches Poll. Now they have a bye week before the showdown with No. 3 Georgia (7-0) in Jacksonville.
I honestly always give the edge to Florida because they’ve owned UGA since 1990, winning 21 of the 27 games. Florida having nine players suspended is why I think Georgia has a great opportunity to win.
There have been Gator teams in the past that faced long odds going in to a big game and found a way to win. I’m going to look at some of the best upsets in Florida history.
Sticking with this series, we can look back at 2002. Georgia was 8-0 and ranked fourth in the nation heading into the game. Florida was unranked with a 5-3 record. Ron Zook (remember him?) was in his first year as UF head coach.
On paper, this looked like a lopsided game. It turned out to be a tough game with both defenses playing well. Rex Grossman threw a touchdown in the fourth quarter to take a 20-13 lead. Georgia was not able to respond and that was the final score.
The Dawgs finished the season 13-1 and a win in the Sugar Bowl but that loss cost them a chance to play for a national championship. Florida finished the year 8-5.
The 2014 game also featured a Florida team that did not live up to expectations. Will Muschamp was never a good fit in Gainesville and he was in the last season of his lackluster tenure.
Florida was 3-3 and coming off an embarrassing 42-13 homecoming loss to Mizzou. Georgia was ranked ninth with a 6-1 record.
The Gators started true freshman quarterback Treon Harris who only attempted nine passes in the game. They ran wild over Georgia, rushing for 428 yards and won the game 38-20. That team also finished the season 8-5, which led to Jim McElwain being hired on December 4 of that year.
We can all agree the real turn around for Florida started when Steve Spurrier got hired as the head ball coach in 1990. During that season, they played No. 4 Auburn at home. The Tigers won the SEC the previous three years and were 6-0-1 with the tie against No.5 Tennessee.
The fifteenth ranked Gators pulled of the upset with a blowout win, 48-7. Auburn coach Pat Dye was dismissive about Spurrier’s offense before the game. That wound up being his worst loss of Dye’s career.
That following year in 1991 Florida State was 10-1 with the only loss against No. 2 Miami 17-16 the previous week. Florida was also 10-1 and ranked fifth. This was the first top five matchup in the series. The Gators won at home 14-9.
In Zook’s final game in 2004 he led his unranked team to a 20-13 win over No. 10 FSU in Tallahassee.
Even with the odds stacked against them Florida can still compete. They recruit well so they have talented players. Think twice before counting them out.
Hawks Rebuilding Nest
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Only a few seasons removed from having the best record in the NBA and only one season after a go-for-broke acquiring of superstar Dwight Howard, the Hawks have begun the process of breaking it all
down and rebuilding.
Generally any team in the midst of a rebuild can be counted on to be out of contention come playoff time and while that is likely to be the case for Atlanta, playing in a weak conference (and in a league where so many teams get into the postseason) means that those hopes aren’t completely dashed.
Jason Bishop Show w Kipp Branch Oct 14
Terrors Sink Pirates
By: Christian Goeckel
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
There’s nothing quite like high school football. In a town with just two teams, everyone must choose a side.
From downtown Brunswick coffee shops, to the golf courses on Jekyll, City Championship smack talk reached a fever-pitch this week. Brunswick finally has a team their fans and alumni can be proud of, putting up a over 40 points a game and doing it in style.
On the other side, Glynn Academy entered this week as the pseudo undercard (an undercard that had won the past three matchups, but an undercard nonetheless.).
The Terrors started the year 1-2, and the offense seemed to be missing a little too much after the departure of Deejay Dallas. Sure, they’d won a couple to get to 3-2, but have you seen Brunswick’s offense?
All that hype led to an atmosphere on Friday night that can only be described as Bowl Game -esque. Because Glynn and Brunswick share a stadium, the teams rotate home and away sides of the field every year. This year the home side fell to Glynn, with Terror nation packing the stadium side under the press box, while Brunswick’s faithful equally filled up the “away” side.
White and red smoked mixed in the South Georgia night while both teams exploded onto the field. The stage was set, now could this game live up to the hype?
For Glynn it did and then some. After deferring until the second half, Glynn’s defense took the field to test their metal against an offense that hadn’t been held under 43 points since week one.
Glynn answered the challenge. Hunter Hall stuffed Brunswick on a fourth and short deep in Glynn’s territory, setting the tone for the rest of the game. Glynn consistently got Brunswick Quarterback Jamarius Stevens off his spot, never allowing him to settle in and throw.
Brunswick was able to gash Glynn up the middle on their lone scoring drive of the first half, but couldn’t consistently establish any ground game.
Offensively, Coach Hidalgo doesn’t hide what he wants to do. He wants his running backs to hit you in the mouth all night, try to stop them.
Senior Caine Crews has taken that philosophy to heart, rushing for over 100 yards and 3 touchdowns. Hidalgo also unleashed his “Riverboat Gambler” side, with a throwback to Randon Jernigan that set up Glynn’s first score, and a reverse to back-up QB Sam Wagoner who pulled up and fired a strike to a wide open Jernigan streaking down the sideline for another touchdown.
With Glynn’s running game in full gear and Brunswick’s offense stuck in reverse, this game seemed to be headed to a blowout. Credit Brunswick for not backing down.
The Pirates put a touchdown on the board before the half to put the score at 12-7 headed into the break. The game hung in the balance deep into the third until Patrick Fulton came untouched on a Brunswick punt, blocking it and recovering it deep in Pirates territory.
Crews punched it in a few plays later, and that was that. Both teams would score once more, with Glynn emerging victorious 26-13.
Hidalgo has stated throughout the year that this region still runs through Glynn Academy. No matter how down they may seem, nothing will be given to you. You’ll have to pry this region from Glynn’s hands. Good luck.
This team has improved every week. If they can continue this formula of smash mouth running and smothering defense, another deep playoff run is in the cards. To the rest of Georgia… you’ve been warned.
